Honda - Accord :: 2002 - Catalytic Converter Is Not Operating Within The Efficiency Range
Sep 13, 2014
The Honda dealership read the check engine light code on my Honda 2002 Accord, that said the catalytic convertor is not operating within the efficiency range(plus the converter has a rattle in it...it is not the heat shield as it was taken off years ago). They said it was too expensive to have fixed at the dealership and to find an independent repair shop to replace the converter.
They warned me to not get the cheap universal converter as the check engine light for the converter would come back on and stay on. They said get a more expensive one but would not give any specific brand or price range and said it SHOULD keep the check engine light from coming about the converter.
I have an independent shop and they agreed about never using an universal converter. However when I press them about the $270 converter they would put on would keep the check engine light for the converter from coming on, they hesitated in assuring me it would not come on.
Honda Accord converter can be replaced with an after market converter, what did it cost, and did it keep the check engine light for the converter from coming on?
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My wife and I have a 1997 Honda Accord, roughly 260k miles. A few months back the Check Engine light came on, diagnostic came back with P0420, typically indicating the catalytic converter is shot. Who am I to argue, it was an factory part. So we replaced that with an inexpensive Magnaflow converter. (don't have the part number on me); this was 5 days ago. Today my wife takes the car in for inspection. Check Engine is still on with the same code. The guy at the testing station begins laughing at my wife when she says we only spent about 200 in parts and labour on the new converter. I'm inclined to think that since we already replaced the converter that I should be looking somewhere else (O2 sensor maybe). But I also don't want to just start throwing parts at it. Do I have a case here? I would really prefer not to spend $1000 on a car that old with that many miles on it just to pass inspection.
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My wife drives a 2005 Honda accord and the catalytic converter heat shield recently fell off. I am wondering if it is safe to continue driving the car without the heat shield? I have read that the main function of the heat shield is to prevent fires when parking in long grass. Does it also protect the bottom of the car from starting on fire?
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I checked out a 2006 Prius yesterday a guy is selling. It had the CEL on (not sure why somebody would try and sell a car with that, but anyway). He said that it's because they get gas at a station that consistently doesn't tighten the gas cap enough but by the time the tank is down to 1-2 bars the light always goes away. Although I don't doubt his story, I absolutely doubted the cause. So I took it to get the code pulled and it was P0420, which is catalytic converter threshold below efficiency.
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So the code reads "warm up catalytic converter efficiency below threshold (bank1)" ?? What it could be?
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I needed to replace the same (rear) catalytic converter of my 2006 Honda Pilot LX (2WD) in less than 16 months. The first time it happened in October 2014 when the vehicle had 160K miles (Car's service code was P0420), and the second time it happened this month (same code P0420), when the vehicle had 184K miles. I have it replaced at Honda Service both times.
When it happened for a second time so quick (160k miles wth first converter vs 24K miles with the second converter), I asked Honda Service for a free warranty replacement, but they said it only has 12K miles, and 12 month warranty on repairs, they called Honda corporate to see if they would do anything extra (they did not), but Lute Riley gave a discount to do it at their part & labor cost only ($800 first time vs $550 second time).
What could be the cause of the second catalytic converter to go bad so quick? I have been the owner and only driver of the vehicle since i purchased it new and my driving habits have not changed.
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The check engine light on our 2005 Honda CRV (146,000 miles) came on and stayed on. After a week of driving with the light on we brought the car to the dealer to have it checked. The dealer diagosed a faulty catalytic converter given a P0402 diagnostic code and didn't think the P1078 code for the intake manifold a problem. The dealer also stated that the oxygen sensors were fine. We declined the dealers offer to replace the catalytic converter for $2,170 and the check engine light was reset. After two weeks of daily drifting and 1000 plus miles the engine light is still off. Did we actually have a problem? Why hasn't the light come on again?
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P0420 Catalyst System below efficiency -- bank 1
I've had this code for a couple months trying to trouble shoot it. My gas mileage has been affected, as I'm getting about 23/24 MPG city/highway. I replaced the upstream 02 sensor with am aftermarket Bosch variety( I'm not sure why a non-OEM one would make a difference, as long it's working correctly).
My car has 253k miles, the cat doesn't rattle and I don't smell any rotten eggs or anything, but it has to be clogged or the 02 sensor I got was defective. My engine runs fine and I don't have any problems accelerating or decelerating. It may still be the 02 sensor since the gas mileage decrease is so significant, or it could be my converter is really clogged up.
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I have a 2002 Toyota Prius that is currently in limp mode...
Took it to the dealer for diagnostics and they said the Catalytic Converter has failed...So I went online, bought a new one and replaced it. The symptoms prior the Cat replacement were still there...mpg loss, power loss, and exhaust air was not exiting the end of the pipe but actually leaking out the connection point where the Cat and the manifold met.
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On my 2002 Subaru Forester (137,000 m), the check engine light came on. They diagnosed and repaired O2 sensor. About 300 miles later it came on again, this time they said the catalytic converter was cooked, and they blamed whatever caused the O2 sensor to fail (or the O2 sensor failure itself). After the repair (about $1300 and 30 miles later), I discovered that the engine oil was so low that it was not showing up on the dipstick (tho the oil light was not yet on). The shop (after admitting that they did not check the oil while it was in there) said it was related to catalytic converter failure. Does this make sense? I have only gone another 60 miles since the oil was refilled, but so far it looks OK. Should I be on the look-out for anything else?
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The heat shield on the catalytic converter of my 2005 Honda Civic rusted and was hanging on by one nut, so I decided to rip the bottom part off. Is it necessary to get a replacement or can i go without it?
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I have had my honda for a few months now and have had a few problems in that time. At first it started with the check engine light coming on when heated up but then my car began to randomly die while I'm driving down the road. Every time that it would die I was able to start it back up almost right after it died. Also when I come to a stop my temperature gauge will start to rise and when I turn the car off I can hear the fans continuing to run for about 10 mins. Now my car will drive until it heats up and then it will die and not start back up until it has cooled down. My dad told me that he thought that my main relay went bad but I replaced that and nothing has changed...
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I live in CA and recently my car passed the smog test, but failed inspection because the check engine light on the board was on. When the diagnostic test was done, it said there's a problem with the catalytic converter. It's so frustrating because the car's emissions are within limits. , I was thinking... Is there a way to get the catalytic converter to run cleaner without replacing it? If it can run long enough to pass the diagnostic test, my car could pass inspection.
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My son-in-law has a 2006 Honda Accord with over 160,000 miles on it. About 8 months ago, the check engine light came on. The code said the down stream oxygen sensor was bad. He took it to a Honda dealer and they replaced the sensor and now the check engine light is back on with the same code. Can the catalytic converter have gone bad and can it have made the oxygen sensor go bad too?
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I recently had my catalytic converter replaced with a non-OEM cat. The check engine light came on and a different shop (different from the shop that replaced the cat) said that it will keep coming on because I had the cat replaced with a non-OEM cat.
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I have a 2001 VT GTI with 155K miles on it. It is in very good condition. I have loved the car except for the high maintenance costs that typically seem to be associated with VWs.
I found out this week after my check engine light came on that the car needs a new catalytic converter and a new new secondary air pump.
Let's assume that this diagnosis is correct and the repair is accurate for the sake of this posting (and I have no doubt it is). In other words, I don't want to get my question derailed on that issue.
The car has new Michelin tires on it and runs well. The problem is that it will fail the state emissions test I am required to take next December, and I will either be forced to have the car repaired or will not be able to get updated license tabs (isn't that sweet?!).
It seems that I have a few options:
1. Get the repair done (ouch) and keep driving the car for a few more years. Repair cost is about what the market value of the car is (from what I have seen).
2. Sell the car "as-is" between now and December and see what cash I can get out of it. Any buyer will discount the value of the vehicle based on the repairs needed. Of course, then I'll need a replacement vehicle of some sort.
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See related guides and technical advice from our community experts:
How to Replace a Catalytic Converter
Step by step instructions for do-it-yourself repairs
Browse all: Air Intake and Exhaust Guides
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I have a 2000 Lincoln Town Car with a single exhaust system, part of/attached to the frontal area of the exhaust "Y" pipe are two lumps with heat shields, the muffler is obvious in the mid-section of the car, but are those "lumps" the catalytic converters, and if so, why two when the older cars had only one?
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Someone put sugar in my gas tank so I had it worked on at the Dodge place they replaced my fuel pump..fuel filter cleaned the tank..flushed the lines cleaned my injectors and replaced the plugs..I went to pick it up I barely made it a mile down the road I had no power and a lady flagged me down to tell me to pull over because I had sparks coming from the bottom of my van I looked under the van and the catalytic converter was red like hit coals the Dodge place is telling me its my flex plate? I think they are misdiagnosing the issue because before the sugar issue I had no problems with my van?
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So this morning (Kind of Cold) I went out site and started my car. I heard some noise under the car and I noticed that the noise bad been coming from the Catalytic Converter area and there was water dripping off of it.
My guess is that it was just warming up and the water was from the cold. Is it normal?
I have a GLX V6 ...
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I own a 2004 Acura RSX that I purchased new nearly 10 years ago. The car currently has 182,000 miles on it. Two years ago (approx. 130,000 miles), I had to replace the catalytic converter and both O2 sensors. This lightened my wallet to the tune of $1,200 (aftermarket franchise, OEM replacement). A few weeks ago, the "check engine" light came on. I used my scanner, and got the dreaded P0420 code, and had it verified by another shop. O2 sensors were OK. What REALLY shocked me was that replacement catalytic converters are only warranted for 5 years/25,000 miles (50k in CA). The first replacement piece lasted 52,000 miles (less than half the miles/years of the original part)
Here are THE QUESTIONS: What killed this catalytic converter? What can I do to prolong the life of this part? My car has the base powertrain that (according to the owner's manual) recommends 87 octane fuel. That's all I've ever used. The mechanic suggested moving up to mid-grade fuel, though he admitted that he wasn't sure.
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